A burglar broke into a home in Hammel near Aarhus and took a young man’s Pokémon card collection, valued at DKK 100,000 to 150,000, while the family was away on holiday in Egypt.
According to reporting by DR, published on September 24, 2026, 26-year-old Oscar Madsen received a call from his sister shortly after the family holiday began. She told him there had been a break-in at the family home in Hammel.
The thief took Madsen’s car and his Pokémon cards, which were valued at DKK 100,000 to 150,000 in August 2025. Per DR, the burglar entered through the window of Madsen’s bedroom. Computers and televisions were left untouched.
Madsen said the cards had risen sharply in value in a short time. One card he bought in Sweden for DKK 5,000 was worth DKK 25,000 to 30,000 less than a year later, as reported by DR. He also believes the thief knew what the collection was worth.
Madsen and a friend had run a small Instagram profile where they posted images of their cards. They have since stopped, he told DR. He has also obtained a confidential address and moved his cards to a friend’s home during his August trip.
Police urge caution
Deputy police inspector Kenneth Lund Jensen of South Zealand and Lolland-Falster Police urged owners to be careful about storing and displaying valuables. As stated by Jensen to DR, criminals can follow online forums and act if they spot a very expensive card. He compared such a card to an expensive watch that can be resold in the right markets.
Madsen reported the burglary to police, but no charges followed. He said he felt officers did not take the case seriously because it involved collector cards with Japanese cartoon characters.
Deputy police inspector Thomas Schouby of East Jutland Police responded in writing to DR. He said he regretted that Madsen felt he was not taken seriously. Per Schouby, theft and burglary are treated seriously whether jewelry or Pokémon cards are stolen.
Schouby added that the force could have handled its contact with Madsen better. He also said an investigation was carried out, but that it did not provide grounds for charges. According to Schouby, such thefts are investigated like other thefts of valuable property, with an assessment made case by case.
Madsen traced some of the stolen cards himself using their unique serial numbers. They turned up with a man in Viborg who had bought them from a seller on Facebook, DR reports. The two had met at a pizzeria in Aarhus, where the video surveillance was not working.
The man from Viborg had also experienced theft of Pokémon cards, according to Madsen. He returned the cards to Madsen without payment. Madsen still collects cards, though his current collection is worth far less than the one that was stolen.
